Highlights

Introductions
Program Outline
Tips for Parents
Inside
Homework Information
Volunteer Opportunities
September Calendar
kinderPRESS
Welcome to September
Our big ideas this month will be classroom routines, colours,
and shapes.
Introductions and Information for Parents and Students of Room 3
Welcome

This first newsletter is to welcome your family to Kindergarten and to describe the program at Osgoode Public School for the
2014/2015 school year. You will receive a newsletter each month. Every copy of kinderPRESS will describe the month in some
detail: classroom big ideas, tips for parents, volunteer opportunities, calendar of events, etc.

Kindergarten Hours

Morning classes 8:15-2:45
Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures
A Kindergarten teacher will meet the buses at the bus drop off area and bring the bus children into the kindergarten
yard. All parents and caregivers who drop off children are asked to wait until a kindergarten teacher greets them in the
kindergarten yard. Parents are asked to say goodbye to their child at the kindergarten yard. Also, in an effort to help
alleviate congestion on Main St. during the morning drop-off period of 8:00-8:15, we will have a Kindergarten Staff
member (Mlle Henderson), who will meet your child at the Kiss n Ride entrance gate each morning.

At home time, those students who are not going on the bus will meet their parents or caregivers at the kindergarten yard five
minutes before dismissal. For safety reasons, children are not free to leave until directed by their teacher.
Bus students will be escorted to buses for dismissal.

Please try to have your child at school on time each day. Lifelong habits can be established in Kindergarten!

ANY CHANGES TO YOUR CHILDS BUS/DISMISSAL ROUTINE SHOULD BE SENT TO SCHOOL IN WRITING.



The Kindergarten Day
Students drop their mail bag in the note-tote box upon entering the classroom. REMEMBER THAT MAIL BAGS CONTAIN
ALL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL AND MUST BE TRANSPORTED DAILY IN YOUR

Osgoode Public
School
Issue 1
September 2014

kinderPRESS SEPTEMBER 2014 2

CHILDS BACKPACK. Twenty minutes of French is taught daily by the French teacher (Mme. Cameron).There will be times
that Kinders will have outdoor play. Please ensure that your child dresses appropriately for the weather.

Learning will revolve around weekly and biweekly big ideas which will be taught using math, science, stories, music, art, drama,
games, cooking, field trips, computers, etc. The curriculum guidelines set out by the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training
dictates both general and specific objectives that we will be working toward this year. The entire Kindergarten program, including
the specific expectations for all curriculum areas is available over the internet at: www.edu.gov.on.ca


Snack
To help promote independent skills, parents are asked to send snacks that children can manage on their own. For example, fruit
should be peeled and cut at home and snack containers should be easy for the child to open.


***PLEASE AVOID NUTS AND NUT PRODUCTS***

Homework Tips for Parents
A large part of the language component in Kindergarten at Osgoode PS is built around Jolly Phonics. This dynamic program
introduces sounds, letters and symbols to the children in a unique order. At the end of September, we will be sending a printing
sheet home every Friday in their Jolly Phonics duo-tang to help prepare your child for the upcoming work week. You can look at
this letter together, complete the sheet and send it back in by the following Thursday in order to get the next sheet. There will be
a song written on the back of the sheet that goes with the letter of the week that we will be singing in class. Your childs learning
can be enhanced by further discussion around this letter, such as the sound(s) that the letter makes and words in which it might be
heard. Storybooks, poetry, puppetry, chants and songs will further round out language learning this year.

Show-and-Tell
Mystery sharing (a form of Show and Tell) will begin late September in conjunction with the start of Jolly Phonics. I will send
home a Mystery Share day schedule in the near future. Please help your child to find something appropriate that starts with the
letter of the week. Parents are asked to help their child prepare and practice for each Mystery Share presentation. Often Show-
and-tell is a childs first adventure into the world of public speaking and practice makes the adventure go a lot easier.

Library
Our class will have their library time starting at the end of September. Library day will be every Tuesday. Children will be allowed
to take out one book each week, and are expected to return the book the following week. Children who do not return their books
on library day will not be allowed to take out another book. Library books should be transported to and from school in the
labelled cloth bag provided by you.


Clothing
Please keep safety and self-reliance in mind when dressing your child for school. (As well as how easily the clothes will wash).
Childrens self-esteem is heightened when they can dress and undress themselves without adult assistance. Practice with buttons
and zippers at home! Shoes with Velcro rather than laces are preferable to foster independence. For safety reasons, pull-on neck
warmers and hats with Velcro fasteners are recommended over scarves and hats with strings. Pull-on boots are also easier to
manage and safer than boots with ties. Please label ALL clothing. Clothes that are misplaced can easily be returned to a child if
they are labelled with the childs/family name.
kinderPRESS SEPTEMBER 2014 3



Birthdays
Birthdays are very important! We look forward to celebrating your childs birthday. If your childs birthday falls on a school day,
we will celebrate it then. Weekend birthdays will be celebrated on the Friday before. Summer birthdays will be celebrated during
the class party at the end of June. A class contact information list will be compiled in the near future to assist in birthday/play date
planning. It is difficult when children become aware they have not received a birthday invitation and feel left out.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS MONTH TO:
Lauryn on September 1
st

Avery on September 8
James on September 18
Ms.Ketchum on the 22nd


Scholastic Book Orders
Every month a Scholastic book order will come home. Participation in this book club is optional.


Volunteers Required!!!
We are looking for a variety of volunteers for a multitude of tasks. Volunteers are welcome to assist with small group activities, art,
cooking, computer, and general classroom organization. I will be sending home a volunteer request form at the end of this month.
We will begin to have volunteers within the classroom in late October, giving your children some time to adjust to new routines.

A minimum of six volunteers is required for each Kindergarten class for all field trips. Permission forms will be sent home about
two weeks before a trip. Please return tear-off slips promptly if you are interested in helping.

Thank-you for those parents who have signed up for making play dough! I sent home the list last night.

Any time that you can spend in our classroom is worthwhile. At-home projects are also available to interested parents. Your
efforts for our class are highly valued and always appreciated.


Things Needed

Thank-you so much to those parents who have sent in their Voluntary $20.00 levy. This assists us in the purchasing of many items
we are always in need of in a Kindergarten classroom (developing of pictures, crafts supplies, cooking supplies etc).



Special Days
September 2
nd
& 3
rd
Tuesday & Wednesday Intake Days
September 4
th
Thursday 1/2 J.Ks begin
September 5
th
Friday 1/2 J.Ks begin
September 8
th
Monday Whole class begins
kinderPRESS SEPTEMBER 2014 4

September 10
th
Wednesday Meet the Teacher
*back to school BBQ
September 30 Tuesday 11:45am/Co-operation assembly







Sonya Schmidt & Ms.Ketchum & Ms.Rae
Osgoode Public School
(613)826-2550